Baton, staff, or cane.



J. H. SUTLIVE.

BATON, STAFF, OR CANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 7,1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Inventor Attorneys JAMES H. SUTLIVE, 0F KEOKUK, IOWA.

BATON, STAFF, on CANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

Application filed December 7, 1912. Serial No. 735,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. SUTLIVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Baton, Staff, or Cane, of which the follow ingis a specification.

The present invention appertains generally to instruments of percussion,and aims primarily to provide a staff, one end of which is adapted to beslid over a surface to set the staff in vibration, in connection with aninstrument of percussion carried by the staff to be set into motion bythe vibration of the staff.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide a device ofthe character indicated which shall be in the form of a baton, cane orthe like, to be carried by the hand, in order that the tip of the baton,staff or the like, may be brought into contact with the sidewalk,pavement, or other surface, in order to set the same into vibration andthus set the instrument of percussion into operation.

Another object of the invention is to pr0- vide an instrument of thecharacter indicated, which when brought into operation will produce arepeated clamorous sound or clatter, resembling the sound of a snaredrum.

The present invention also contemplates the provision of the instrumentof the character specified, which shall be simple, substantial, durableand inexpensive in construction, which shall be convenient, practi caland efficient in its use, and which may be readily manipulated by thehand.

To the above and other ends which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the inven tion has been illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of thedevice, part of the stafi' being broken away. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section of the device, the staff being shown in full andbeing partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a fragmental sect-ion of a variationof the device.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the numeral 3 designates thestaff, which may be fashioned from wood or any other material possessingthe proper timbre. This staff may be provided with a ferrule 4 at itslower end or tip if desired in order to eliminate the wear of the staffand in order to provide a more effective vibratory action of the staff,as hereinafter set forth. The instrument of percussion is carried by theother or upper end of the staff and has been designated generally by thenumeral 5. This instrument of percussion embodies a sound box 6providing a resonance chamber, the said sound box being in the form of adrum or cylinder having its top or upper end open. A diaphragm 7 is seton the upper end or edge of the sound box in order to close the same,and the said diaphragm is yieldably held against the sound box by meansof a contractile spring 8 connecting a central point of the diaphragmand the central point of the bottom or lower end of the sounding box.The sound box is conveniently secured on the upper end of the staff bymeans of a collar or socket 9 depending from the bottom or lower end ofthe sound box and engaged over the end of the staff, although itisunderstood that the sound box may be secured to the staff in anydesirable manner. The sound box and diaphragm are constructed of anysuitable material so as to produce a proper timbre and in order topromote resonance.

In the use of the device, the staff 3, is held or grasped in the hand inany convenient manner so as to be carried as a cane, walking stick,baton or the like. When it is desired to bring the instrument ofpercussion into action, the lower end of the staff is brought intocontact with the sidewalk, pavement, or other surface, so that the staffstands at an angle with the surface, and then by sliding the end of thestaff over the surface, the staff will be set into longitudinalvibration. This vibratory motion is transmitted to the sound box, and asa result, the diaphragm 7 will be vibrated on the edge of the sound box.This vibratory motion of the diaphragm will produce a repeated clamoroussound or clatter resembling that of a snare drum, the sound beingmagnified or amplified by the sound box or resonance chamber.

This device may be employed in various manners and for divers purposes,the same being desirable as a noise producer for campaigns, or forvarious other occasions. It will also be manifest that the objects aimedat have been carried out in a satisfactory manner, and that the presentdevice is susceptible of alterations or deviations in its details Withinthe scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In the variation or modification illustrated in Fig. 3, the instrumentof porous sion 5 secured on the staff 3 comprises a square orrectangular casing or sound boX 6 closed by similarly shaped diaphragm7, the sound box being secured to the end of the staff by means of thecollar 9 projecting from the bottom of the sound boX. \Vith this form,the tension is employed, the same consisting of a flexible cord 8resembling a violin string, the same being secured centrally to thediaphragm and passing into an opening or socket 10 provided in the endof the staff and being Wound upon a key 11 journaled through the socket.Thus, by rotating the key 11, the tension of the cord 8 may be adjustedin order to permit of the proper operation or vibration of the diaphragmwhen the staff is slid over a surface as above describes It will thus benoted that the sound box may be of any convenient contour, and that anysuitable means may be employed for retaining the diaphragm in positionso that the edges may vibrate on the edges of the sound box.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character specified, a staff, and an instrument ofpercussion carried thereby embodying a vibratory member to be set intomotion by the vibration of the staff.

2. In a device of the character specified, a staff, an instrument ofpercussion carried thereby and embodying an open resonance chamber, avibratory diaphragm closing said chamber, and means for holding thediaphragm in position, the diaphragm being designed to be set intovibratory motion by the vibration of the stafi.

3. In a device of the character specified, a staff, and an instrument ofpercussion carried thereby and embodying an open resonance chamber and adiaphragm yield ably held over the opening of the resonance chamber anddesigned to be set into vibratory motion by the vibration of the staff.

4. In device of the character specified, a staff, and an instrument ofpercussion carried thereby and embodying an open resonance chamber, adiaphragm fitting over the said opening, and contractile springconnecting the diaphragm and the bottom of the resonance chamber.

5. In adevice of the character specified, a staff, a sounding box havingone end open,

the other end being secured to one end of a the staif, and a diaphragmyieldably held on the ec go of the sounding box over the openin 6. In adevice of the class described, a staff, a sounding boX having one endopen, the other end being secured to one end of the staff, a diaphragmseated on the edge of the sounding bov over the opening, and acontractile spring connecting the dia phragm and the latter end of thesounding box.

7. In a device of the class specified, a staff, and an instrument ofpercussion carried thereby and embodying an open resonance chamber, adiaphragm fitting over the opening, and tension means for retaining thediaphragm in position.

8. In a device of the character specified, a staff, an open sounding boxcarriedv thereby, a diaphragm fitting over the opening of the soundingbox, and a tension device connected centrally to the diaphragm forretaining same in position.

9. In a device of the class specified, a staff, a sounding box havingone end. open, the other end being secured to one end of the staff, adiaphragm seated on the edge of the sounding box over the opening, and atension device connected centrally to the diaphragm for retaining sameto position and for permitting the edges thereof to vibrate on the edgeof the sounding box.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoa'lfiXed my signa ture in the presence of tWO Witnesses.

JAMES H. SUTLIVE.

.Vitnesscs B. E. SUTLIVE, S. H. Orrnsn'o'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

